On July 15, 1976, kidnappers abducted 26 children, ages 5 to 14, and their school bus driver in Chowchilla, Madera County, California. The kidnappers eventually transported their victims from Chowchilla to a quarry in Livermore, and loaded them into a buried moving box truck. After about 16 hours, the driver and children were able to dig themselves out and escape unharmed. Police soon arrested the quarry owner's son and his accomplices. wrote: